Parquet flooring and wall paneling



Oct. 7 1924. 1,510,924

E. S. DANIELS ET AL PARQUET FLOORING AND WALL PANELING Filed March 271924 2 Sheets-Sheet rvws (j Harold Rim cjckaay 24/11, Ai'kornea/s Oct. 71924.

E. S. DANIELS ET AL PARQUET FLOORING AND WALL PANELING Filed March 271924- 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

m Wgk In ant-ova Erma; 0M2 pm flaw/"0% Rm 6% I kHzorngys Patented Oct.7, 1924.

ERNEST STUART DANIELS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF GOLUMIBIA, AND IPITMAN SOHUCK, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

HAROLD PARQUET rnoonme AND WALL PANELING.

' Application filed march 27, 1924. Serial in. 702,426.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ERNEST STUART DANIELS, asubject of the King of Great Britain, and HAROLD PITMAN SOHUCK, a

5 citizen of the United States, residing, re-

spectively, at Washington, in the District of Columbia, and East Orange,in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have 1nvented certainnew and useful Improve- 1 ments in Parquet Flooring and Wall Paneling;and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertalns to 5 make and use the same. i

This invention is designed as an improvement upon our Patent No.1,477,813, dated December 18, 1923, and relates to floor and wallconstruction and more particularly to what is commonly known as parquetflooring and wall paneling. The primary ob ect of the invention is toprovide boarding material or flooring panels constructed in compositesections having meansrigid therewith for securing together, bylnterlocklng tongue and groove connections, a group or.

multiplicity of such sections in properly as sembled relation to form afloor or sealed wall without necessity for other fastemng means thansaid interlocking connections.

A further object is to provide flooring or wall anel material of thecharacter referred to, a apted for use in constructin finished floors,wall panels or panelled cei lugs and the like.

The invention will be first hereinafter more particularly described withreference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a partof this specification, and then ointed out in the claims at the end ofthe escri tion. i

In said rawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a floorembodying our invention, several sections being detached but shown inrelative position for assembly or connection with ad acent and adjoiningsections.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of a parquet floor constructed inaccordance with our invention, the composite sections being formedsubstantially in squares and detached to illustrate the method ofuniting the same.

' Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a 'floor taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a floor taken on theline 4.-4 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a wall constructedfrom a plurality of sections having interlocking engagement with eachother.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the same taken on the line 66 of Fig.5, and

Flg. is a perspective view of a sin le composlte sectlon or panel, theloosely tting s1de strip thereof being detached.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used todesignate corresponding parts throughout the several vlews, andparticularlyto Figs. 7 and 1 to 4, 1nclus1ve; 8 denotes individualcomposite or rlgid sections or panels of flooring or wall materialconstructed in accordance with our invention and consisting, as shown,of multi ple pieces of planks, board or scrap mater1al, of equal length,joined or secured together longitudinally, with the grain of the wood inthe respective pieces running in substantially the same direction. Theseveral pieces comprisin the composite sections or panels are rigi lysecured and held closely together by means of reinforcing and retainingend shooks or splines 9 and 10 inserted under pressure within receptivetransverse kerfs or grooves formed in the ed es of the sections at theirrespective ends, with the grain of the wood in the strips running atsubstantially right-angles to the grain of the wood in the panels, oneof the transverse end strips 9 being counter-sunk in one end of eachpanel section so as to leave a continuous transverse groove in that end,while one of the wider strips or splines 10 is applied to the oppositegrooved end of each composite panel sectionwith aportion thereofextended from the latter so as. to provide a transverse tongue of awidth equal substantially to the depth of the groove in the opposite endof the panel. The edge 100 of each section 8 is further kerfed orgrooved on both sides, with the groove running substantially parallelwith th grain of the wood in the panel and of a epth equal substantiallyto the depth ofthe groove left by 105 the counter-sunk spline in one endthereof.

Longitudinal strips 11, providing removable tongues, are loosely fittedin the kerfs composite section and adapted for engagement with a kerfedor grooved edge in either side or end of similarly formed sections.These sections or panels may be of any desired form or size, eithersquare or oblong, and any suitable material may be used to form'theindividual panels, the several pieces of planks or scrap material beingjoined together longitudinally and end-wise by the means abovedescribed.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it Will be observed that a multiplicity ofsimilarly formed sections are closely assembled together byinter-engaging tongue-an'd-groove connections with each other to form acompleted floor. In order to facilitate this as- 'sembly and hold .thesections or panels rigidly together and to' give a neat and attractiveappearance to the completed floor, a longitudinally! kerfed or groovedborder strip or board 12 is preferably secured against the wall of thebuilding, subad acent the ordinary floor board, with its grooved edgetoward the center of the room. This strip should be extended completelyaround all sides of the room, or border the area to be covered with theflooring material, or if referred, a number of these strips 12, kerfedor grooved along the edges on both sides may be laid at spaced intervalsacross the area to be covered to roduce a bordered checkerboard effect.omposite floor sections or panels are secured in interlocking engagementwith said border strip and also with each other by means of the extendedtongues 10 and the loosely fitted splines 11, which are engaged withinthe opposing grooved edges of the border strip and the opposing oovededge in the end or sides of similar y formed sections, according towhich confronts the other. It will be noted that the ends) of thesections in which the "counter-sunk splines 9 are lodged, may be engagedor secured to the border strip 12 at substantially right-angles thereto,by means of the removable splines 11 fitted loosely between the groovededge of the strip and the opposing grooved edge in the ends of thepanels, and that successive sections may thereafter be laid end to endacross the area to be covered, with their grooved ends respectivelyopposed to the extended s lines in the ends of preceding sections. Similarly, the ends of the sections in which the extended splines 10 arelodged, may be engaged or secured to the border strip 12, with thesplines 10 inserted within the grooved edge of the border strip, andthat successive sections may thereafter belaid end to end across thearea to be covered, with their respective splined ends opposed to thegrooved ends of the sections preceding.

Further, the respective sections are similarly secured to each other by!interlocking tongue and groove connections, that is b means of theremovable splines 11 which are fitted between the 0p osing grooved edgesin the sides of immediatel adjacent sections in the manner indicate thuscf fecting a complete floor rigidly united by interlockingtongue-and-groove connections with the border strip and with each other,producing a solid floor which will be unaffected, in appearance andassembled relation with each other by contraction or -ex-- pansion ofthe wood under atmospheric conditions, and in which other fasteningmeans, such as nails or-screws, will not ordinarily be required in orderto hold the sections in place.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, in which a parquet floor isillustrated, it will be noted that the several composite sections areconstructed in accordance with the illustration in Fig. 7, except thatthe sections are substantially square rather than oblong in form, andthat these sections are assembled by interlocking tongue-andgrooveengagement with the border strip 12 and with each other, in the mannerhereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1, except that alternatesections are laid with the grain of the wood in one section runnin atsubstantially right-angles to" the gram of the wood in each adjacentsection, the extended splines in each section having engagement with thegrooved edge in the end or one side of its adjacent section, and theloose splines 11 being similarly utilized to join the several sectionstogether at their meeting grooved edges, thus providing a solid parquetfloor 1n which few, if any, mails are required to hold the individualsections in place. In the latter illustration the composite sections orpanels are secured in interlocking engagement with the border strip 12and'with each other by means of the extended tongues 10 and the loosesplines 11 fitted between the opposing grooved edges in the sides orends of the panels, thus adapting the panels to be laid successively, atsubstantially right-angles to each other, with their edges flush.

"It may be observed that any tendency of the wood to warp will becompensated for by means of the extended splines 10 and the loosesplines 11, respectively, so that the floor will not buckle nor shrinkso as to cause gaps between the several sections.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, in which the manner of assembling thecomposite sections to form a wall or ceiling is illustrated 13 denotesthe ordinary vertical joists or a frame building .or structure, saidjoists being longitudinall grooved on opposite sides to form para lelguide-ways for the wall or ceiling panel sections, the latter beingidentical with the form illustrated in Fig. 7. The several sections areslidably fitted between a pair of grooved joists and allowed to rest mposition, one upon the other, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The splines 11are loosely fitted within the opposing grooves in adjacent sides of therespective sections and also between the rooves in the counter-sunkspline ends of t e respective sections, so as to extend into theopposing groove in the joist,13, thus holding the respective panels inposition and providing a sealed wall or ceilin which may be expedientlyand economically assembled or torn down, as the case may be. It willhere be noted that the wall or ceiling sections may be thus assembledwith the grain in the respective sections running substantially parallelwith each other and at right-angles to the joists or substantiallyparallel with each other and parallel with the joists or alternatelywith the grain in successive sections running at substantiallyright-angles to each other.

We desire it to be understood that the word flooring as used in theappended claims is intended to include not only flooring material butwall panels, partitions and panelled cealings and various otherstructures in which our invention might be used. Furthermore, in thebroader aspects of the invention, and for some other purposes, othermaterial than wood might be used to form similarly tongue-and-groovedsections or panels adapted to perform the same functions as sectionsformed of wood, and therefore we do not desire to limit our invention toparquet flooring or wall panels made entirely of wood, although thelatter material is preferable.

It may be here noted that gum-wood and other kinds of plentiful woodwhich have heretofore been practically useless by reason of theirtendency to warp, may be profitably and economically employed so that weare enabled to produce, at comparatively nominal expense, a nicelyfinished and durable flooring material by the utilization of heretoforeunusable and waste products of lumber, such as short pieces of flooringma terial which are usually cast off and used as fire-wood. Moreparticularly are we enabled to use hard but inexpensive wood which isunfit for use as ordinary hardwood flooring because of its tendency tosplit, and which for this reason has a very low market value as comparedwith ordinary flooring material. 7

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. Individually formed composite floor and wall pannel sectionscomprising 'multiple pieces of material secured together by transversesplines lodged within registering grooves in the ends of the respective'pieces, the splines in one end of the sections being and wall panelsections comprising multiple pieces of material of equal length securedtogether by common transverse splines lodged within registering groovesin the end edges of the respective pieces, the splines in one end of thesections bein'g counter-sunk so as to leave a groove in that end, andthe splines in the opposite ends of the sections being extendedtherefrom so as to provide a transverse tongue of a width equalsubstantially to the depth of the groove in their other ends, the edgesof said sections being corres ondingly grooved along both sides to aepth equal substantially to the depth of. the grooves in their ends,together with removable splines adapted to fit engageably into thegrooved ends or sides of the sections.

3. A flooring comprising a plurality of individually formed compositesections interlocked and held together iii assembled relation byinterlocking longitudinal and transverse tongue-and-groove connectionstheretween, the longitudinal grooves extending along the edges onopposite sides of the sec-" tions, the individual sections beingcomposed of relatively short pieces of material secured together edge toedge,- by transverse splines pressed into registering margmal grooves inthe ends of the respective pieces, the splines in one end of thesections being counter-sunk so as to leave a transverse marginal groovein that end, and the splines in the opposite ends of the sectionsextending there-from so as to provide a transverse tongue therefor.

4. A flooring comprising a plurality of individually formed compositesections interlocked and held together in assembled relation byremovable interlocking longitudinal and transverse .tongue-and-grooveconnections therebetween, the longitudinal grooves extending along theedges on opposite sides of the respective sections, and the transversegrooves extending along the edge on one end of the respective sections,the individual sections being composed of relatively short pieces ofmaterial frictionally secured together edge to edge, by transversesplines pressed into registering marginal grooves in the ends of therespective pieces, the splines in one end of the sections beingcounter-sunk so as to leave a transverse marginal groove in that end,and the splines in the opposite ends of the sections extending therefromso as to provide a transverse tongue therefor, together with a pluralityof removable longitudinal splines adapted to fit interchangeably betweenthe grooved ends and sides of the composite sections and cooperativelyinterlock the same together in assembledjrelation, edge to edge.

e. A parquet flooring comprising a plurality of individuall formedcomposite sections interlocked an held together in assembled relation byinterlocking marginal tongue and groove connections, the individualsections being composed of multiple pieces of material frictionallysecured together edge to edge "by transverse splines pressed intogrooves in their edges, the spline in one end of each section beingcounter-sunk so as to leave a groove in that end, and the spline in theopposite end of each section having a portion extended therefrom toprovide a transverse tongue in such end, the edges of the severalsections being correspondingly grooved along both sides to a depth equalsubstantially to the depth of the groove in their ends, together wlth aplurality of removable longitudinal splines adapted interchangeably tofit between opposed grooves in the ends or sides of the severalcomposite sections and cooperatively interlock the same together, edgetoedge, whereby the sections may be assembled with the grain of the woodin each section running at substantially right-angles to the grain ofthe wood in adjoining sections.

6. A flooring comprising a grooved border member and a plurality ofindividually formed composite sections interlocked and held together inassembled relation by interlocking marginal tongue and grooveconnectrons, the in ividual sections bein composed of multiple ieces ofmaterial trictionally secured toget er edge to edge by transversesplines pressed into grooves in their edges, the spline in one end ofeach section being counter-sunk so as to leave a groove in that end andthe spline in" the opposite end of eachsection having a continuousportion extended therefrom to provide a transverse ton e in such end,the edges of the several sections bein I correspondingly grooved alongboth sies to a depth equal substantially to the depth of the groove intheir ends, together with a plurality of removable splines adaptedinterchangeably to fit between opposed grooves in the ends or sides ofadjoining sections and between opposed grooves in the border member andits adjacent sections,to cooperatively interlock the same together edgeto edge, whereby the sections may be assembled to cover an area with thegrain of the wood in the several sections running substantially parallelwith or atan angle to the grain of the wood in ado1n1ng sections.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in the presence ofwitnesses.

ERNEST STUART DANIELS. Witnesses:

CHARLEfi A. GUILD, 1E. HARRY Lannnnne.

HAlllG LD Pll'lMAN SCHUGK. Witnesses:

CLAnrssa Hones, JOHN C. Pnnn'r on.

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